What Is a Moneyline Bet?
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A moneyline bet is the simplest wager in sports: you pick who wins outright, with no point spread involved. The odds do the balancing — the favorite carries negative odds (e.g. -150) and the underdog positive odds (e.g. +130). You just need the winner, but favorites pay less and underdogs pay more.
How the moneyline works
There is no margin to beat. If your team wins by one point or forty, you win the bet. What changes with each matchup is the price, expressed in American odds with a plus or minus sign that tells you the payout and signals who is favored.
Reading the odds
| Odds | Meaning | $100 bet |
|---|---|---|
| -150 (favorite) | Risk $150 to win $100 | Returns $250 |
| +130 (underdog) | Win $130 on $100 | Returns $230 |
| -400 (big favorite) | Risk $400 to win $100 | Returns $500 |
| +350 (big underdog) | Win $350 on $100 | Returns $450 |
Minus is the favorite and shows what you risk to win $100; plus is the underdog and shows what you win on $100.
Where the moneyline shines
The moneyline is the natural bet in low-scoring sports — baseball, hockey, soccer — where a one-run or one-goal spread barely moves the needle. In the NFL and NBA the point spread is usually the headline market, but the moneyline is always available for anyone who just wants to back a winner, and an underdog moneyline can pay handsomely.
The vig is baked in
The two sides’ odds don’t add up to a fair 100% — the extra is the sportsbook’s margin, the vig. That overround is the book’s edge, the same commission built into a spread or an over/under bet.
Simple, but not always best
Because it only asks who wins, the moneyline is the friendliest bet for beginners. But favorites can be expensive, which is why many bettors weigh it against the spread. See our spread vs. moneyline guide and, when you’re ready to combine picks, our explainer on the parlay.
Frequently asked questions
What is a moneyline bet?+
A moneyline bet is a wager on who wins the game, with no spread or margin to worry about. If your team wins, you win the bet regardless of the score. The trade-off is in the odds: backing a favorite returns less than your stake-to-win ratio, while backing an underdog returns more, reflecting each side's chance of winning.
How do you read moneyline odds?+
American moneyline odds use plus and minus. A minus number (e.g. -150) is the favorite and shows how much you must risk to win $100 — here, $150 to win $100. A plus number (e.g. +130) is the underdog and shows how much a $100 bet wins — here, $130. The bigger the number in either direction, the bigger the mismatch.
What does -150 mean on the moneyline?+
-150 marks a favorite: you must risk $150 to win $100 in profit (returning $250 total if it wins). It implies the team is more likely than not to win, so the payout is smaller than your stake. The heavier the favorite, the more negative the number — a -400 favorite requires risking $400 to win $100.
What does +130 mean on the moneyline?+
+130 marks an underdog: a $100 bet wins $130 in profit (returning $230 total) if the team wins outright. Positive odds always show the profit on a $100 stake. The bigger the plus number, the bigger the underdog and the larger the potential payout, because the team is less likely to win.
Moneyline vs. point spread — which is better?+
Neither is universally better; they suit different situations. A [point spread](/what-is-a-point-spread-in-betting/) asks a favorite to win by a margin but pays close to even money, while a moneyline just needs a win but pays less on favorites. Betting an underdog's moneyline can be very rewarding. Our [spread vs. moneyline](/spread-vs-moneyline/) guide covers when each is the smarter choice.
Can you bet the moneyline in any sport?+
Yes, and it is especially common in low-scoring sports like baseball, hockey and soccer, where a point spread of just a run or a goal makes the moneyline the more natural bet. In high-scoring sports like the NFL and NBA, the spread is often the headline market, but a moneyline is always available for those who just want to pick the winner.
Do moneyline odds include the vig?+
Yes. The gap between the favorite's and underdog's odds contains the sportsbook's built-in margin, the vig or juice. If you added the two implied probabilities together they would exceed 100%, and that overround is the book's edge. It is the same commission baked into a [spread](/what-is-a-point-spread-in-betting/) or a [parlay](/what-is-a-parlay/).
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Related guides
Spread vs. Moneyline: What's the Difference?
A point spread bets the margin of victory; a moneyline bets who simply wins. Spreads pay near even money, moneylines pay less on favorites, more on underdogs.
What Is a Futures Bet in Sports?
A futures bet is a wager on a long-term outcome decided later in a season — like the champion, an MVP, or a team's win total — usually placed well in advance.
What Is a Prop Bet? Proposition Bets Explained
A prop bet is a wager on something specific within a game — a player's stats, a team milestone, or a one-off event — rather than the final result.
What Is an Over/Under Bet? (Totals)
An over/under bet, or total, is a wager on whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under a number set by the sportsbook — not on who wins.
What Is a Point Spread in Betting?
A point spread is a handicap set by sportsbooks: the favorite must win by more than the spread, the underdog can lose by less than it (or win) to 'cover'.
What Is a Parlay Bet? How Parlays Work
A parlay is a single bet combining two or more picks, where all must win. How the odds multiply and why parlays rarely hit, explained neutrally.